Aquatic lights are commonly used in swimming pools, spas, and other underwater or high-moisture environments, such as showers, saunas, bathtubs, and splash pads. Generally speaking, these conventional aquatic lights can be summarized as one of two types: (1) an older style lighting system, typically an incandescent bulb contained in a water-tight housing, which provides simplistic on/off control of a white light; or (2) a more modern lighting system, typically a light-emitting diode (LED) lighting unit with a computerized control unit which allows users to dynamically change a lighting effect of the light, e.g., different colors or patterns, in addition to on/off control.
In further detail, FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical illustration of a conventional lighting system, in accordance with the prior art. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates the older style lighting system 10A which is typically found in many older swimming pools. The conventional lighting system 10A includes a light housing 12 which is formed in a sidewall 14 of a pool 16 or other structure which contains a quantity of water 18. Typically, the sidewall 14 of the pool 16 is formed from shotcrete, Gunite, or a similar cementitious material such that the housing 12 is embedded in the hardened, concrete wall of the pool 16. The housing 12 contains a light-emitting device 20, such as an incandescent light bulb or other light bulb, which is separated from the water 18 with a cover 22. The light-emitting device 20 receives power from a power supply 24 connected to the light-emitting device 20 with a wired cable 26, which is also typically embedded in at least a portion of the sidewall 14 of the pool 16. The wired cable 26 is usually formed from two or three wires—a positive conductor, a neutral conductor, and optionally, a ground. A switch 28 is used to turn the light on or off, as desired by the user.
As compared to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical illustration of a more modern conventional lighting system, in accordance with the prior art. The conventional lighting system 10B includes a light housing 12 which is formed in a sidewall 14 of a pool 16 or other structure which contains a quantity of water 18. Typically, the sidewall 14 of the pool 16 is formed from shotcrete, Gunite®, or a similar cementitious material such that the housing 12 is embedded in the hardened, concrete wall of the pool 16. The housing 12 contains a light-emitting device 20, usually a plurality of multi-colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with appropriate circuitry, which are separated from the water 18 with a cover 22. The light-emitting device 20 receives power from a power supply 24 connected to the light-emitting device 20 with a wired cable 26, often run through one or more junction boxes 30, and the wired cable 26 is typically embedded in at least a portion of the sidewall 14 of the pool 16. The wired cable 26 is usually formed from two or three wires—a positive conductor, a neutral conductor, and optionally, a ground.
Additionally, the conventional lighting system 10B includes a control unit 40 which is used to control the lighting effect or characteristic of the light-emitting device 20. The control unit 40 may be connected to the light-emitting device 20 with one or more control low voltage cables 42 which, similar to the wired cable 26 of the power source, are embedded in the concrete sidewall 14. In some cases, the control cables 42 can be the same cables as the wired cables 26 for the power source 24, since a switch mode or powerline control can be used to control the lighting effect or characteristic of the light-emitting device 20. When the control cables 42 are separate from the wired cables 26, they may typically include a 6-core wire.
The control unit 40 may be a computerized device which includes programmable code and software along with a user interface to convert human instructions into the desired lighting effect. Often times the control unit 40 has an external user interface 44 which is electronically connected to the control unit 40, where the external user interface 44 has an interactive display interface 46 which the user interacts with to control the pool lighting, as well as other features of the pool, such as the pump speed, water features, etc. These devices—the control unit 40 and the external user interface 44—are often located with or very near the pool pump and filter, which are usually located many feet or meters away from the pool 16 itself to ensure the noise and aesthetics of the pool pump and filter do not negatively affect the user's experience in the pool. As a result, most users prefer to engage with the control unit through a wireless connection 48, such as WIFI®, using a mobile device, such as a smart phone, or a computer.
Both lighting systems 10A, 10B have deficiencies. With the older lighting system 10A, the single light bulb doesn't allow users to change anything other than an on/off state, which is technologically outdated. The single light bulb can require changing often, which is a time-consuming and inefficient process, sometimes involving draining or partial draining of the swimming pool 16. Individuals with pools having the older lighting system 10A routinely want to replace them with the more modern lighting system 10B but they often can't do so because of the spatial limitations of the older lights and the lack of appropriate wiring and cables for controlling the new lighting unit. Moreover, running new cables to the light housing 12 involves a partial digging of the pool 16 sidewall 14, which is difficult and often impractical.
With the newer lighting system 10B, users have more control over their pool lights but these systems are expensive and cumbersome to install and use. For one, additional wiring is often needed, along with a dedicated control unit 40, and an external user interface 44, which can easily add $1,500 or more to the price of a pool. When this equipment is located outside of a backyard fence, as is common, using the external user interface 44 to alter, adjust, or control the pool features can be frustrating since it requires the user to be physically present at the external user interface 44. Importantly, this situation can often be unsafe too. For example, in certain hot climates where swimming pools are popular, such Australia and the American Southwest, pools are often built within secure fences to prevent animals, reptiles, and insects from accessing the pool. These animals may include venomous snakes, such as the Rattlesnake present in the American Southwest. After a user finishes swimming, he or she would need to go outside of this secure fence to shut off the pool lights, which subjects the user to undesirable and unsafe conditions of stepping on a snake or other creature. Control provided through a wireless connection can improve the situation, but the control unit 40 or external user interface 44 itself must have an Internet or network connection to function. This can be difficult to ensure when the pool equipment is located more than 20-30 feet from a residence. In this situation, the user may be left with no choice but to incur the costs of setting up a secondary Internet connection for the control unit 40, or be subjected to the dangers of physically walking to the external user interface 44.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.